I realize that posting long quotes is bad form, but for the sake of clarity, would posters here kindly read the following texts, and take particular note of the bold text (mine) especially the dates, and the 3-year time period which begain in 2002
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States of America
Decree
On June 15, 2002, the Latin members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a request for an indult from the prescriptions of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, editio typica tertia, allowing for the purification of sacred vessels by extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion when deemed pastorally appropriate by the diocesan bishop.
In a decree dated March 22, 2002 (Prot. 1382/01/L), the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
granted an indult whereby, for grave pastoral reasons, the diocesan Bishop may grant to priest celebrants the faculty to permit extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to assist with the purification of sacred vessels after the distribution of Communion at Mass. This faculty dispenses from the norm of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, editio typica tertia for a
period of three years.
The indult is hereby published and is effective immediately.
Given at the General Secretariat of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. on March 28,
2002, Holy Thursday.
Most Reverend Wilton Gregory
Bishop of Belleville
President
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Reverend Monsignor William P. Fay
General Secretary
Second letter:
Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Prot. 1382/01/L
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
In response to the request of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph Fiorenza, Bishop of Galveston-Houston, President of the Conference of Bishops of the United States of America, made in a letter dated June 21, 2001, and in virtue of the faculties granted to the this Congregation by the Supreme Pontiff, JOHN PAUL II, we grant that in the dioceses of this same Conference, for grave pastoral reasons, the faculty may be given by the diocesan Bishop to the priest celebrant to use the assistance, when necessary, even of extraordinary ministers in the cleansing of sacred vessels after the distribution of Communion has been completed in the celebration of Mass. **This faculty is conceded for a period of three years as a dispensation from the norm **of the Institutio Generalis, edito typica tertia of the Roman Missal.
All things to the contrary notwithstanding.
From the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, March 22,
2002.
- Jorge A. Cardinal Medina Estevez
Prefect
+Francisco Pio Tamburrino
Archbishop-Secretary
On June 9, **2006 **in an audience with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI this
indult was not extended. The Conference of Bishops was informed of this by a letter from Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, dated October 12,
2006 (Prot, n. 468/05/L).
Source:
usccb.org/liturgy/current/norms.shtml
Please note that there seems to be a formatting error on the USCCB webpage because the last paragraph of my post (On June 9, 2005…) is in the wrong place on the page. I’ve taken the liberty of moving it in my own post. The formatting mistake is obvious, and I recall we discussed it in a different thread some time ago. There seems to be a number of formatting errors in that webpage. In any case, the key paragraph is the one I’ve shown in blue letters.
